Astrologer Teri Parsley Starnes welcomes you to the Starsdance. I invite you to join me in contemplating the wonder of sky and Earth. Through following the Moon, the planets, and the wisdom of the seasons and signs, my goal is to offer a useful practice of mindfulness and intention for the thoughtful seeker. Shall we dance?

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Saturday, November 30, 2013

Follow the Moon: Forecast December 1, 2013 – December 7

What if your
life were a jigsaw puzzle whose pieces were scattered over a table? What if
each piece represented a day in your life, and there was no photo on the box to
guide you; how would you begin to put this puzzle together and what patterns would
emerge as you sorted and tested each piece to find the right connections? What
would you learn about yourself as the larger picture emerged before your eyes? Puzzles
are everywhere and the shifting astrological season creates a desire to solve
them.

We’re about
to begin a new lunar cycle, infused by the dream of Sagittarius. This dream is
inspired by the big picture and a quest to understand it. We see the
constellation of the Sagittarian centaur pointing his arrow at the center of
our galaxy—a symbol for core truth and, because there is a black hole there, a
symbol also of vastness and mystery. There’s no quest too distant or too
impossible for this sign. Other signs have quests. Capricorn must climb
mountains to seek tangible success. The Sagittarian journey is about something
hard to pin down—knowledge. Sagittarius wants to know more. Because Sagittarius
is a mutable fire sign, truth is understood in a fiery way—instinctually and
energetically. The equation could be thought of like this: movement plus
distance equals truth. As long as we keep that equation in mind and give
ourselves over to the adventure, we feel as if we are making progress.

Although it
may be impossible to really see the complete picture of our lives, as long as
we keep moving and believing, the flame of truth will enlighten us. We will
know more than we knew before. After a month of embracing the dark in last
month’s Scorpio lunar cycle, I am ready for Sagittarian illumination. I am
ready to see the big picture and take a leap into the next step to get that
vantage point.

The new
lunar cycle, which begins with the New Moon on December 2, carries us through
the holiday season and ends on News Year’s Eve. Any quest for knowledge we
undertake will be impacted by many things, including our cultural expectations
of this season as well as the starsdance of the planets. There is a mixture of
old and new dance steps to consider. The old: Saturn remains in Scorpio—inviting
soul-searching self-honesty. Uranus in Aries and Pluto in Capricorn are still in
close square aspect—continuing the reorganization of paradigms. Jupiter in
Cancer has just turned retrograde and will inflate cardinal sign conflicts over
the next five months especially as it relates to needing security. The new:
Venus in Capricorn and Mars in Libra step into the spotlight to elevate the
role of relationship and ambition in our ongoing quest for self-knowledge. Venus
will station retrograde in Capricorn on December 21. Balance, relationship,
values, and self-worth are important themes of this transit. We have a longer
time to focus on these issues through the Capricorn lens—hard working, ambitious,
and possessing an innate understanding of mastery. We notice our own high
expectations. Mars enters Libra the first week of December. In March, Mars will
stage its own retrograde journey through this sign of balance, justice, and
relationship. Do you see a theme here? Partnerships of all kinds, even those
that are openly unfriendly, rise to the top of the list of what matters most to
us. Retrogrades give us time to reflect and go deeper. Mars is about our
passions. Even in the peace-loving sign of Libra, Mars answers to desire. This
will impact how we relate. If mastery and desire had a conversation about
balance, what would be discussed? On Christmas, Mars enflames our passions to
be authentic through an opposition to Uranus. On December 30th, near the end of
this lunar cycle, Mars forms a square to Pluto in Capricorn—time to be honest
about the passions driving our lives and to bring this honesty to relationship
in a healthy way.

What
insightful intention will you hold for this cycle? Sagittarius offers
illumination. I invite you to join me in seeing with new eyes the picture of
who you are. I don’t know what gifts/challenges this vision will offer, but
with the courage and foolishness of a New Moon, I am ready for the adventure.

Forecast December 1, 2013 – December 7

Moon in Scorpio
Sunday, December 1. This is the last day of the
Scorpio lunar cycle. Give thanks for the journey through the shadows. Who did
you meet? Who are your allies? The dark of the Moon reveals to our hearts alone
the true value of our experiences of the last four weeks, which may have felt
like much longer in terms of soul growth. As the Moon contacts Mercury today,
find a way to express, even if only to yourself, what is in your heart.
Jupiter, Venus, and Mars are supportive. We feel optimistic, connected to
others, and able to integrate mind and body to create wholeness. Notice these
fleeting experiences and anchor them in memory. It is always good to recharge
the batteries when things are going our way.

Moon enters Sagittarius 12:31 am CST
December 2—New Moon: Dreaming. See this
week’s forecast intro for more context about the lunar cycle that begins today.
In the shifting pulsations of the zodiacal wheel, every water sign is followed
by a fire sign. Water signs encourage interior experiences centered around
emotion. Fire signs encourage expansion out into the world with a general
mission to know who we are and how to express that self-knowledge in a new way.
This shift from water to fire can feel big. Perhaps you are noticing that right
now. Tap into a desire to know more about yourself. What are you noticing that
feels like old patterns of response? What are you noticing that feels brand
new? All of this is illuminating.

The transits
at the beginning of this lunar cycle are less stressful than what is to come
near the end of the cycle. Breathe into the flow that is supportive right now
and make room in your plans to take care of yourself this month. Flow is
happening in both fire and water signs. On the side of fire: We are feeling
optimistic and expansive about change with a trine between the Sun/Moon in
Sagittarius and Uranus in Aries. In the realm of water: the trine between
Jupiter in Cancer and Saturn in Scorpio encourages productive emotional
response. Notice how boundaries and compassion work together to bring the right
amount of caring for others and self. Not everything is easy, however.
Challenges arise around balancing the impulses of expansion and accountability.
The opposition between Jupiter and Venus has us look at patterns around money
and relationship. The goal is balance. A square between the Sun/Moon and Chiron
reveals feelings of vulnerability. As we quest to know ourselves better this
month, vulnerability can be a guide rather than a weakness. Self-love is the
gift we may gain.

Moon in Sagittarius
Tuesday, December 3. This is a day to express
yourself! Communication has the green light. We are both empathic and pragmatic
about getting our messages across. But there’s another side to getting things
off your chest—the fallout could manifest as conflict. They say that there are
healthy ways to be in conflict. I’m still learning that skill, but today may be
a great day to practice expression and resolution even when it feels
uncomfortable.

Moon enters Capricorn 12:49 am CST
Wednesday, December 4. I hope you learned something
about healthy conflict yesterday because today’s transit could provoke a little
more of it. Once a week, the Moon triggers the ongoing square aspect between
Uranus and Pluto. Today is that day. In Capricorn, the Moon is asking us cut
the drama and be accountable. We may not know what that means, but we all can
feel it. Perhaps it appears as a renewed desire to get something real done with
your time, or a desire to be acknowledged for your hard-earned talents and
skills. Perhaps it also manifests as a tendency to judge. I’ve found that the
source of my own judgments is usually a projection of how hard I am being on
myself. As we dedicate to self-discovery this month, what are you noticing?

Moon in Capricorn
December 5—Crescent Moon: Beginning. For all the
lofty ideals we can assign to the Sagittarian quest for truth, it must never be
assumed that this adventure is motivated by anything less than having the most
fun we can. Emma Goldman, who is sourced with saying, “If I can’t dance, I
don’t want to be part of your revolution,” had Saturn in Sagittarius. She had
to master the art of fun and social change. We can all take a cue from her in
this lunar cycle. The contrast we notice today is between the serious goals of
a Capricorn Moon and the fun goals of a Sagittarius Sun. I like to think it
isn’t an either/or situation. How will you make your revolution fun?

Here is a
challenge for you: How can you conserve your resources, whatever they are from
social capital to money in the bank, while at the same time not being too
miserly with them. We need to expand today. It is good to exercise those muscles.

Moon enters Aquarius 12:53 am CST
Friday, December 6.Today, Sagittarian optimism really kicks into gear. It feels good,
rather than threatening, to push the edges. We learn, we connect with others,
and we are inventive about it too. In addition to these quick and fascinating
encounters, there is strong possibility that we will traverse the terrain of
spiritual longing as well. This longing could look like escaping into your
favorite fantasy story, writing poetry, or reaching transcendental states. The
way there may be diverse, but the place we are going is all about losing
oneself in a bigger story.

Moon in Aquarius
Saturday, December 7. Mars leaves Virgo and enters
Libra today. Mars spent about eight weeks in Virgo (a normal time for Mars to
transit through a sign). Mars will remain in Libra for about 33 weeks. The
difference in length is that Mars will be turning retrograde in Libra in March,
thus expanding its time in this sign. Every two years, Mars takes this
retrograde journey. (Last time this happened in 2011 – 2012 the sign was
Virgo.) The match up between Mars—the warrior planet of desire—and Libra—the
sign ruled by gracious Venus—is not quite comfortable. This doesn’t mean we
won’t learn a lot concerning these authentic desires: to be true to oneself and
to be dedicated to collaborative partnerships. A lot of give and take is in
store for us. Later this month, Mars will provoke the Uranus/Pluto square and
we will notice all these contrary desires. For now, Mars asks us to mellow out
just a little, listen just a little bit more, and find a way to be gracious as
we quest for greater self-knowledge.